


Cabin Retreat

by astridthecrafty



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2018-12-08 07:03:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11641404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astridthecrafty/pseuds/astridthecrafty
Summary: Sometimes you just need a bit of stress relief. Rated for later chapters. I will update as soon as I can, sorry.For more Info on OC Emeline/Lina read my other story Unexpected Company, thanks.





	1. Chapter 1

Emeline fell face first onto her bed and kicked off her stilettos. The balls of her feet throbbed like she’d been walking over hot coals.

It was high time she cashed in some of her accumulated leave.

Recharge brain and body.

Some “company” … actually no, a decent sleep was much more craved for.

She let out a long frustrated groan into the duvet. When had she gotten so “old”. The next thing you know she’d be in a rocking chair, knees covered in an afghan with needles click-clacking away knitting socks.

Rolling over she dropped her legs over the side and stood up.

BAD MOVE … her feet stung. You would think by now they could have invented pinch free footwear for women … but noooooo, our lives are still a circle of waxing, underwire poking, and killer heel pain.

Melting into the sofa she opened up a search page on the laptop

[S] [P] [A] [space] [H] [O] [L] [I] [D] [A] [Y] [S] [Enter]

***

I sploshed a generous hand measure of Bruichladdich into my tumbler and clicked forward to the next page of search results. As much as I wished I could screw away the stress on a tropical beach with a complete stranger, I knew that a proper break was much more needed. A real break. Something more restorative ... massages, fresh air, and no 3am phone calls.

I click through the search results. They were all too dated, or too spiritually lead, or too... I hate the word glamping but that's the only one that fits the yurts with lightbulbs and wi-fi. I don't want to sit watching a play after an afternoon of enemas and I don't need re-inventing or saving... just some peace, quiet and cool evening breezes to dust away the cobwebs.

Four pages in I find Druantia Retreat. This sounds a bit more like it. The owners look a bit new agey, but cabins in the mountains that look clean and comfortable, an indoor swimming pool... ooohhh each cabin has it's own personal hot tub, niiiiice. Hearty home cooked meals, lots of walking routes. Doesn't look like a tourist trap or one of those newfangled places the nouveau riche descend upon. Some of the optional extras look a bit kumbayah but I can ignore them. Price... OUCH... Tracy pays me well but even I will need to live on tinned beans for two months if I do this.

Bugger it, I deserve this.

***

The reception area was hell. I was beginning to regret my choice as almost all the other guests had a good few decades on me. There are some times in life when yoga pants are really NOT flattering. As I signed in on the guest book, the effervescent girl on the desk informed me there was orientation tonight, which basically a meet and greet for everyone and a run down on what was available, feel free to drop in once I'd settled in. I wish I still had her cheerful enthusiasm ... I think I'll pass.

The walk from the carpark to my cabin was thankfully not too far. The wooden buildings of varying sizes were peppered around the main building with seemingly no order. For a "calming retreat" it was all very ...chaotic. There did look to be relative privacy though with plenty of space between them. Several people clad in yoga pants and headbands jiggled in the opposite direction past me, probably towards what must the the orientation evening. I look down at my outfit. Torn jeans and checked shirt... buttoned up as the burger I inhaled on the drive dribbled a bright mustard and tomato ketchup smear down my vest top underneath it.

The room, at least, delivered. Scanning the amenities it was warm and cosy. I found the hot tub on a small screened back porch that was open to the sky, but it didn't look very big. Okay, translate that as big enough for one but might not really fit two ... lets just say they would need to be very friendly. Could be quite romantic in though...  
I slid open the drapes and revealed the most breathtaking view. The path between the cabins led towards the deep green pine treeline. In the distance the mountains were amazingly topped with snow, even now in the late summer. It was like... you know those postcards of idyllic Switzerland that look like a scene from Heidi... THAT.

***

He'd promised he would make an effort to relax. The last few months had been pretty full on and with Two having the most versatile equipment he'd been working non-stop. Even if he wasn't needed himself he was still ferrying Gordon and Four around.

Two weeks ago broke him. Horrendous landslide and rockfall in central Asia. Scott got lucky there, managing where people went. But Virgil had been on the ground. So many people hadn't made it and afterwards he just couldn't get out of the funk he was in. So they'd all booked him a break. The sensible part of his brain told him that really they could all do with regular time off, and Scott could do with it more than him, Alan could do with being just a normal kid for a while, John should be nerding out at science conventions and Gordon... well okay, Gordon had sort of found a way to relax a bit, even if he daydreamed with a soppy puppy expression.

He'd tried to reason that Scott should go first, and it was bordering on heated before Grandma had stepped in and pulled rank. He would go 10 rounds with anyone, but no-one dared argue with Ruth Tracy when she looked over the rim of her glasses at you. She has that stare that, you know, makes you feel like a 5yr old getting grounded.  
So here he was, trudging over to the welcome night. It had been so long since any of them had been truly social with anyone other than family, and he knew this was going to be awkward for a while.

He stopped dead and walked back a few paces. He recognized that number plate. No, not his imagination, it was familiar. He racked his brain for who it belonged to ...


	2. Ooops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the 2 scenes at once works and makes sense. The normal lettering for Lina, and the italics for Virgil happen in a similar timeframe until they are both in the scene together.

_What the hell is she doing here? Surely Scott checking up on me? Did he stupidly leave information lying around or something. I bet he got his secretary to book this and that Miss Phillips did her usual nosy shit. Some people never change. I need to find out what the hell is going on._

Having checked out the basic kitchen stores Lina cracked open the bottle of cheap wine she had smuggled in. A couple of mugs and a smattering of various teas. The website wording of "tea facilities in every cabin" was, while true, also slightly generous. If she'd gone to some cheap place they would have had real caffeinated coffee, full fat milk, and sugar instead of those sweetener things with the bitter aftertaste. She made a mental note that next time she would research better. Yeah, she can gleam the tiniest bit of info from a mark, but when it came to herself she was hopeless. So a warm mug of rose it was.

So hot tub, music and wine. That sounded like a good plan. She slipped off her dressing gown and dropped it over the chair before grabbing the mug and making her way outside and kicking the player volume up a notch. Well, everyone would be at that meeting thing so no-one would complain.

_Her cabin wasn't that far from mine. Perfect placing for her to snap some pictures. What on earth was she expecting to catch? Me walking to breakfast. Back from breakfast. Wow, how exciting. I knocked the door and waited. No answer. Any bets she saw me coming and is trying to ignore me. I knocked again and listened carefully. No muffled sounds from inside but there is a faint sound of music ... sounds like it's coming from around the back.I have to admit I never took her as a rock fan. I would have expected her to be bubblegum pop or something just as cheesy. Fine, I'll try round there then._

Even completely alone it felt quite freeing and elicit to walk around naked, and stepping into the tub she let her imagination run, imagining herself like Cleopatra slipping into her milk bath. Dipping fully under, there was something comforting about the surrounding warmth, hearing the music deadened by the water around her ears. Surfacing she reached for her mug but the windowsill she'd placed it and her music player on was just out of reach. So shimmying out of the water she sat on the edge of the tub and downed a large mouthful of the plonk.

The coolness of the early evening air tingled against her wet skin. A wicked thought nudged at her mind. She closed her eyes and pictured herself in the full open air ... hmmm, something else, perhaps an audience ... yes ... putting on an exhibition for them. She ghosted her fingers from her shoulder, slowly following the trails of water dripping from her hair as they detoured between her cleavage, flattening out the fingers as she skimmed past her belly button ... the warmth from the wine added to her heady anticipation as she continued the journey...

_As I made my way around the side of the cabin I wondered why she just can't admit she's been caught. My hand stopped just short of knocking. Underneath the music was something else. Soft whimper sounds. In a split second I thought Hold on, what if she's hurt or something? Pure anger switched to concern in an instant. I steeled myself and burst open door._

"Oh shit!"

The screening burst open and Lina froze as she was abruptly shocked out of her fantasy. There was a door there? THERE WAS ... FUCK what was Scott's brother doing there? Oh shit what?

"BLOODYHELLDAMNSHITBUGGER!!!" In a nanosecond reality hit and she splashed into the water creating a quake that sloshed several liters of water over the sides of the tub.

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK? CAN YOU NOT KNOCK OR SOMETHING YOU IGNORANT FUCKER? SERIOUSLY?", her voiced pitched upwards as the realisation of what he'd just seen her doing registered in her brain.

Of all the things that had run through Virgil's head to explain the moans _THAT_ was certainly not one of them. It wasn't often he was left speechless but ...

"Oh don't just stand there gaping like a fish." snapped Lina, "I'd like to get out now."

"I don't see a towel." he said, scanning the area and trying to look anywhere but at Lina's head and shoulders above the waterline that now covered what remained of her dignity.

"Would you just fuck off so i can get out?" Lina stated with a calm menace.

Virgil nodded and started backing away through the door, trying to alleviate both of their embarrassment with his fallback humour tactic. "While I don't think you could show me anymore that you already have I shall leave you to ...ahem ... whatever it was you were doing."

Lina just glared at him.

"OOOOkaaaayyy, maybe too soon for that. I'll ... uuumm... see you around."

He finally let out the air he was holding as he heard the latch click back into the plate.


	3. Thoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> interlude

Lina crawled under the covers and stared at the ceiling... "fuck" she growled to the room as she slammed her fists against the mattress.

She didn't know if she was pissed at him or herself. The way he burst in unannounced, or herself for not noticing the bloody door and making sure it was locked. At least he had the decency to SEEM embarrassed, cheeky fucker and his cocky comments, that certainly seems to be a Tracy trait...and jeez she had been SO close, the dull ache still settled between her thighs.

She slid her had under the covers and tried to return to her earlier thoughts, the generic handsome stranger ... imagining that it was his fingers instead of her own, building the release that had eluded her when she was interrupted earlier, when Virgil Tracy interrupted her...

Virgil...

"Oh jeezus!!!" she mouthed as her inner muscles tensed and the shudders of pleasure crashed through her repeatedly.

When the final waves subsided she lay there wide-eyed staring at the ceiling gasping for air.

OMG she couldn't remember the last time she came so hard or fast by herself. Not even when exes had worked her up so much that she couldn't see straight ... but one millisecond flash of a mental image and bam. Holy shit!

She was far too exhausted and sated to try and psycho analyse any of that for the moment, so she curled up and tried to clear her mind by concentrating on the wind whispering thru the trees.

Unfortunately, it didn't really work.

***

_I flopped onto the bed._

_Oh dear god that was embarrassing._

_I've never even spoken to her before, a short nod when I'd dropped in on Scott for some lunch, but that had been it. I may have fleetingly noticed that her suits hid little of her shape and you really couldn't miss the way she wiggled as she walked. I remember wondering if she actually needed her glasses or if those were a cute attempt at trying to look clever. After she'd moved out of sight and hearing range Scott had grinned knowingly and said "Reminds me of Miss MacKenzie. Remember her? She used to wear a red bra under a white shirt that strained at the buttons." All the boys at school enjoyed Religious Education._

_But I'd certainly not expected to walk in on that! Fuck me! Videos are one thing, but in real life. From an artistic perspective, what a wonderful image... the way her damp hair clung to the curve of her firm plump breast... with her fingers playing over her..._

_THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE Virg... You're not a horny teen any more, even if the last time you touched any was... well far too long, but that's not the point._

_You are going to need to so some serious sucking up to...shit not that image ... serious APOLOGIZING... shit, the sensible option was retreat but then you'd have to explain why. URGH, no, wait till the morning and test the waters._

_How did she manage to roll all those expletives together? That joke that to the Scots swearing was a verbal art in itself was not wrong._

_What hit me most was the split second look of panic in her eyes ... for all her following sass telling me where to go, I could have been anyone._

_Cold shower._

_That's the usual cure right? Something to get that image out of my head so I can get some sleep before having to sort whatever in the morning. Hopefully she won't have called the police on me... or worse called Scott. That would be an interesting explanation to HR!_

_*Sigh* ... right... shower._


	4. Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after

Virgil scanned the dining room. No sign of Miss Phillips. She probably hasn't arrived yet. Breakfast serving has only just started and her car was still there so she hadn't done a runner during the night. He'd been awake for hours sketching and mentally going over various apologies as the sun came up. A certain image kept running around in his mind and without trying a lot of his drawings had ended up being ... anatomy.

"Looking a bit pensive son," said a tiny old man standing next to him at the counter.

"Just looking for someone." Virgil answered.

"What did you do to her?"

"Pardon?"

"When a young guy has an expression like you do, it's _always_  a woman."

"Honestly," Virgil dropped his voice to a whisper. "I might have effed up."

"Probably, women tend to have that effect by making us feel like that. Grovelling will help."

Virgil laughed, "Sounds easy" he answered dryly.

The older mans eyes crinkled as he smiled, "It can be, son. It can also be hell on your ego though."

Virgil raise an eyebrow, amused "I take it you've grovelled a lot."

"I couldn't have been married for 40 years if i didn't."

***

The graphite nib skimmed details on the cartridge paper. Nervous was something Virgil had never considered himself, and he usually found drawing calming, but neither of these seemed to ease the ever growing butterfly swarm that had settled in his chest. He'd sat himself so he could see the reception desk and door, and even tho he'd been absentmindedly doodling and people watching for an hour, he still hadn't seen her.

Last nights image kept flicking through his mind, he turned to a fresh page and sketched down some construction lines. The clatter of spoon on the floor interrupted his thoughts and he looked over to the noise. Finally he thought ... until she bent down to pick up the offending spoon and her trousers tightened over backside.

That did _not_  help matters.

He caught her eye as she scanned the room looking for somewhere to sit. She inhaled an obviously steeling breath and headed over towards him. Well, she wasn't running away which that was a good start.

He quickly turned back to his sketchbook page back before she sat across the table from him, and busied herself by adding sugar to her coffee... and another ... and another. As she ripped open the fourth he had to say something.

"Sweet tooth?"

She nodded silently.

"Well, we're in a public place, so before you murder me with muesli and a dessert spoon, because you wont be able to deny it, but you should have locked the door."

Her cheeks flushed pink

"Can we just... maybe... not talk about... _that_. I didn't actually know the door was there. You could have knocked at least before charging in."

"I did knock the front door, but you didn't answer ,and then when I heard you ... well it kinda sounded like you might have been hurt or something... the music did mask the sounds in my defense and I did _not_  expect you to be... " He motioned the air with his hand then took a breath. "Sorry. I recognised your car, then checked the guestbook and you had signed in just after me, so I'd thought you were following me or something."

Throughout his reasoning the young woman had looked like she was fighting her flight instinct until that final comment when her face changed to one of annoyance.

"Really?" Lina left the question hang for a second, "I'm employed ... was employed... by your brother so it would be highly stupid to be stalking you as you know who I am. I take it _you_ are not checking up on _me_ , so in return, what are you doing here? I think I would have noticed if your name was there when i signed in ... "

"We tend to use a pseudonym, we usually have to as given names tend to attract paparazzi. You said "was" employed, Scott never said anything about that."

"I still am, sort of, more in an off-the-record consultancy role. It was a regular paycheck, but no offence to any of you guys, you've all sort of grown up and stopped doing stupid things in public, and as such less mistakes that need covering up. To be honest I don't even understand why he offered me a job in the first place. _Buuuuut_ , people tend stop talking to you when you are in bed with the big boys... don't you dare grin like that, " Lina admonished "it's a saying, not literally in bed. I see THAT humour runs in the family. I do have some standards you know... anyways, the gist is that we agreed a deal where I kind of got let go so I could work independent but still unofficially help. So now I can freelance and write what I want as well."

She paused as realisation flicked over her face. "Hold on. You thought I'd been _hurt_? Why on earth did you think that?"

"You were...uuumm ... making low moaning noises."

" _I do NOT sound like I'm in pain!_ " she blurted out in a half whisper.

He laughed "How do you know? Have you ever recorded yourself?"

She motioned as if she was about to say something and stopped.

"What ... you HAVE?" he asked shocked.

"Well, _no_ , not exactly, _but_ ..."

The bubbly receptionist interrupted by dropping a couple leaflets on the table pictured with rainbow coloured hot air balloons.

"Good Morning, Miss Phillips, Mr Green ... will you be partaking, spectacular views over the mountains."

"Thank you but I prefer to keep my feet on terra firma," answered Virgil, and he patted his drawing pad. "I think I'll just take a climb up the hills and capture the scenery with this. Miss Phillips?"

Lina shook her hand as she swallowed her coffee. "Not for me either thanks. Heights are not my friend."

"Well, have a lovely day, whatever you decide. The Tennis court will be closed for relining between 12 and 2 but everything else is available as normal." She bounced over to the next table.

Lina looked at Virgil questioningly "Firstly, Mr Green? And secondly I have the hate heights excuse, but you don't fancy a balloon ride?"

"Well second thing first, they are too much trouble." Virgil stated. "Every time we have any dealings with one of those things we end up having to rescue someone. For the former, it's Grissom Green."

Lina nearly choked on her coffee laughing. "Seriously? _That_  is your pseudonym. If I'd even had an inkling you were here I would have seen thru that straight away. You really need to get a better one."

Virgil held his hand to his chest in mock hurt. "Does your consultancy extend to making up new names?"

"I'll think about it." she grinned.


	5. The other woman ... not!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for not getting to the smut yet :D. Nearly.

Relaxed after a major pummeling Lina headed back up the path to her cabin. That had been the most thorough massage she had ever had. She was a bit miffed that she'd got the woman cos the guy masseuse was this dark skinned Adonis with hands like plates. Nevermind, there is always tomorrow.

As she made her way she spied Virgil and a short older woman... plump with greying hair. From their body language she was obviously VERY interested, but Virgil looked like a rabbit in the headlights. As she got closer she caught the conversation.

"... and I have sneaked in a bottle of Chablis. It would be such a shame to drink it alone and as you were so generous by helping me to my cabin I would gladly share it with yourself Mr Green."

The older woman's tone left little to the imagination about her true intentions. Lina stifled a giggle. As she approached Virgil shot her a "help" look.

Lina slinked up to Virgil's side and snaked her hands around his waist and smiled up at him, giving the briefest of winks to say "play along".

"Hey there cupcake, making friends." She stuck her right out to the woman, and put on such a sweet tone that would give anyone cavities, "Lina Phillips. I see you've met my hunnybun."

Virgil's shocked expression turned to understanding.

"Ah, yes... sugarplum... This is Mrs Eliza Baker-Lynch. She's just arrived and I helped carry her bags to her cabin for her." He directed Linas eyes to the pile on the doorstep. The woman could rival Lady Creighton-Ward for packing.

"Well done you my big strong hunk." Lina stressed her comment by running her hand down Virgil's bicep. Even thru the layer of shirt she could feel the muscle definition and was pretty impressed.

Holding his eye she dropped her voice to a purr. "Well I have just had the most wonderful massage, but I think there are one or two more kinks that need working on." She turned her head slightly away from their company and winked.

"Anything to help." Virgil smiled and nodded his head in understanding. "I'm sorry Mrs Baker-Lynch, we'll have to rain-check. Maybe another evening." He placed his right hand high on Lina's waist and guided them on up the path.

A few steps on Lina guided her left hand from his hip and tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans. He stiffened slightly at the gesture. "Relax will you. Just for show." she whispered until they were out of earshot. "Just giving her the unsubtle hint of he-is-off-the-market. But I think you owe me one for that."

"You do realise we're out of eye-line now." Virgil glanced over at Lina with amusement.

"Oh right, sorry." Lina laughed as she withdrew her hand. "So, what has Grissom Green been up to today?" she changed the subject quickly.

"Other than being rescued from a rather terrifying woman." he laughed. "A bit of landscape painting and contemplating life, the universe and everything."

"She was quite forward, wasn't she. Not into the older woman then?"

Virgil's grin and eye roll answered that question. "What about you?"

Lina snorted in laughter "Funnily enough among other things I also had a much older woman issue, although mine just right royally ragdolled me with an oily bergamot concoction ... but NO, I'm not into older women either."

"So no girlfriend then?" Virgil asked.

"No, or boyfriend either..." Lina narrowed her eyes, "OH, sneaky... I see what you did there. NO, no boyfriend, You lot are too much hassle."

"Well on behalf of a couple of billion other men in the world, I now have to ask why?

"Jeely pieces."

His smooth brow arched up. "Er, what?"

Lina took a breath. "Jeely Pieces. Like a PBJ but without the peanut butter. When I was eight, my mom got a job working nights, so the old lady upstairs was my emergency contact, she insisted on feeding me, but she was a tad eccentric, and she was stuck on the thought that I was still only about 4 years old. The only thing she had time for was to slap jam on a piece of bread. Five nights in seven for about a year, a was fed a jam sandwich... There's starving children in Africa, eat your crusts for curly hair."

"And that explains???" prompted an even more confused Virgil.

"My last boyfriend. We met when both of us were in not so good places in life, but it was good for a while. Then things just got... monotonous. The same routine every day, every week. Set times for this, set days for... you know. It was like having jeely pieces every day."

Virgil nodded his understanding. "Having seen a lot of your stuff I can understand how you'd find that boring." He caught his own unintentional double meaning. "I mean your writing. I've seen the way you write."

Lina smiled and shook her head. "Look, bygones, not gonna mention that again ever remember," she teased. " And I can assure you, you've not seen half of it. This is me."

They'd reached Lina's cabin.

"See you at dinner?" he asked.

"Sure."


	6. Two to Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wee bit of info. A/N put "La Baise" through translate for a naughty easter egg.

_"Thunderbird Five here, not enjoying your break Virgil? What can I do for you?"_

"No, everything is fine thanks. I need a bit of advice."

_"Absolutely. How can I help?"_

"It's about a girl ... woman ...John ... John are you still there? ... Hellooo?"

_"Still here...why are you asking me? Surely Scott would be better to advise you."_

"Can't say to him. I kinda need you not to say either, cos it would just lead to awkward questions with no answers."

_"Cryptic. Okay, I'll have a go. What do you need?"_

"Remember a short time back, Scott got you to do a background check on Emeline Phillips?"

_"Yes I do... Virgil? What have you done?"_

"Nothing! I'm not Scott. She saved me from a cougar and I'd like to get her a thank you..."

_"A cougar? There shouldn't be any wild animals like that in your area. Anything like that should be in their protected areas. I can get the authorities to check for escapees. Out of interest though, how did SHE save YOU?"_

"Not THAT type of cougar, John. The human type."

_"Ooooohhh. That makes sense now. Well, you know about her reporting background. The problem her mentor initiated. She still writes freelance, so a mixture of investigative stuff and women's magazine pieces. She's authored a couple of novels..."_

"Wait... as in published fiction? I never knew about that one."

_"Womens fiction. I've never read them. Pen name Emma La Baise... hmmm. I did think I should send them to Grandma to see what the content was like. If her investigative stuff is anything to go by they should be quite well researched._

"Uuuummm... women's fiction? Maybe DON'T send those to Grandma just yet. Send me a link and I'll check them out first if you don't mind. Those don't help much yet tho."

 _"She has a Hotel Chocolate subscription. Actually, she has several monthly delivery subscriptions. Seems she likes chocolate._ "

"PERFECT. Now what are the chances of a care package?"

_"Well that is hardly a good use of resources. Leave it with me. There's a clearing about 3 miles from the resort. If I can get anything arranged I'll send you co-ordinates."_

"Brilliant. Remember and don't say to anyone why. Oh, and send me digital copies of those books please."

_"On their way. And Virgil?"_

"Got them, thanks. What?"

_"Don't do anything stupid."_

"I'm not Gordon either. Virgil out."


	7. Questions

Lina stood at the window of her cabin.

The curtains open, dusk had fallen, the insides of the cabin faded in the unlit shadows.

She'd gone to dinner. Knocked Virgil's cabin door on the way past and got no answer. Logically she assumed he'd already headed down. When she got there though, there had been no sign of him. Fair enough, she'd thought. Who knows. Maybe he'd had second thoughts about dinner... not like they'd arranged it like a date or anything. _Oh dear God no_. Nope, it was just two adults who seemed to be getting on okay, that had agreed to share a mealtime.

Weren't they?

She'd finished poking the food around her plate and headed back. On the return journey there was still no sign of life at his cabin. Where the hell was he? Mind you, he was part of a highly specialised team. So he'd probably been called away on some emergency or something... something important where they couldn't do without him, even if he was meant to be on holiday.

Back in her cabin she'd showered and changed, ready for bed. No point mooching around. Maybe she'd get some writing done. She'd smiled to herself. Some pretty inspired ideas had bounced around in her brain for last day and she really needed to get down.

Then about an hour ago she'd got a text.

_{I know you're off duty but I could do with some info. Virgil's got a girl. Need to know if there is any public knowledge. I know you have ways of finding information that even we can't. ST.}_

She stared at it for a minute. "Virgil's got a girl." He never mentioned anything. Not that it was any of her business... not really... maybe she'd read more into his flirty nature that she'd thought. More to the point, why was he flirty if he had someone. He hadn't seemed like the usual dickhead playboy type... maybe that was his style afterall... he'd offhand enquired about _her_  relationship status, but come to think on it, he'd never actually stated his. Why had she not asked? Normally she would have jumped on that? Why the hell hadn't she?

And now here she was, right royally pissed off. She'd gone through all the reasons that she could think of, getting exceedingly worse excuses each time. Not like she was jealous or anything. _FUCK NO!_  She had _no_ reason to be. I mean, it's not like she actually liked him, not in THAT way.

Did she?

Her eye caught a movement near the lit path in the distance. She concentrated on the surrounding area. Sure enough a heavy shouldered figure darted furtively across the illuminated walkway and bolted up the steps into his cabin.

Glancing at the time on her phone it was 23:27.

It was late.

Fuck it.

She wanted answers.

Shoving her bare feet into her gutties and gripping her phone like a chib she marched out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "gutties" is Scottish for trainers/sneakers.  
> "chib" is a small hard item, held in the hand like a small club, used to hurt people more as you punch or hit them.


End file.
